Cookies
by Apple Fairy
Summary: When Ino decides to bake a batch of cookies for Sasuke, Shikamaru comes to help...A sweet and playful ShikaIno fanfic. ExtraFluffy.


Hajimemashite and Konnichiwa, dearest reader-san! Apple Fairy here! .

Well, here's a ShikaIno fanfic for you! Enjoy. :3

* * *

_Cookies_

_Story by Apple Fairy_

* * *

_Sugar and sweetness..._

_Butter to make it delectible..._

_A little bit of milk..._

_A sweet hold to make me see_

* * *

"Mrs. Nara?"

"Yes?"

"Is is alright if I can use your kitchen for something?"

"Well...alright, Ino..."

"Thank you!"

Ino dashed into the Nara's kitchen with a wide grin on her face. Shikamaru glanced to the now empty doorway from where he sat at his Go board.

_What's she up to...?_

"Shikamaru?" His father called from across the board. He was in a forced match with his son.

"Hrm?"

"Why does Ino need our kitchen?"

"How would I know?"

"Well, she _is _your teammate..."

"She's troublesome."

His father could only stay silent and sighed heavily after a while.

"Keep on saying that, Shikamaru, and you'll never have a wife..." His father advised as the two continued to play. The lazy Chunnin cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What's that mean?" He asked skeptically. The Nara father smirked.

"You're a smart boy. You figure it out."

"I win." Shikamaru annonced, ignoring what his father said.

* * *

"Shikamaru! Get over here!"

Shikamaru glanced irratably to the doorway which led to his kitchen. _What's that troublesome girl want?_

He looked to his father in desperate plead. They were in another game. His father smiled to his son.

"We'll end it here. Go help the girl in the kitchen." He ordered as he cleaned up the board of it's polished stones. Shikamaru sighed heavily and stood up.

"Bothersome women..." He mumbled and walked to where the blounde girl was.

His father only smiled and shook his head.

Shikamaru walked into his kitchen and widened his eyes in surprise.

There stood Ino looking into the refridgerator, ingrediants and cooking utensils scattered around the kitchen. It looked as if a storm had hitted it.

"I-Ino! What did you do to my kitchen!" Shikamaru exclaimed. Ino looked up from the fridge and blinked a bit.

"I'm just looking for stuff..." The kunoichi explained. The Nara boy hung his head low.

"For **what, **Ino?"

"For what I'm going to bake."

"Which is...?"

Ino grinned and put her hands on her hips.

"Love Cookies!" She said confidently. Shikamaru looked to her confused.

"...What?"

"I'm going to bake a batch of cookies filled to the core with love and give them to Sasuke-kun! He'll surely fall in love with me after he tastes my beautiful feelings!" She fantasiesd energetically. Shikamaru blinked for awhile. He looked around his cluttered kitchen.

"Why are you doing it at _my _house though?"

"Because, I tried it at my house and there was an isty bitsy little fire...and it's getting renovated now..." She explained feigning innocence.

"Want me to...help?" He asked. _So you don't destroy my house..._

Ino shook her head vigourously and glared at him.

"No! Sasuke-kun's supposed to taste _my _feelings. If you help, he'll taste your's too and fall in love with you also!" She explained in an annoyed tone. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

_Troublesome girl and her weird imagination..._He complained inwardly.

"Although..." Ino began. Shikamaru snapped his head to her.

"Hrm?"

"I need you to go out and buy some milk. You guys are out." She ordered and took some money from her pouch. She walked to her teammate, grabbed his hand, put the money in it, and smiled at him.

"Think you can do that for me, Tiger?" She winked at him playfully. Shikamaru remained unaffected.

"I'm not a Tiger. And you said I couldn't help..." He pointed out lazily. Ino pouted.

"I meant _baking_. Getting ingrediants, however, is another matter." She smirked. Shikamaru sighed loudly, closed his hand, took it from Ino's grip, and placed his fist in his pocket.

"Whatever..." He agreed lazily. He didn't want to do it, but if he refused she'd probably throw a hissy fit.

So, he had no choice, but to do as the princess demanded.

* * *

"Let's see..." Ino sung. "...this love recipe calls for...two eggs!" She announced more to herself. She reached into the fridge, pulled out the egg carton, and closed the door with her hip as she hummed happily.

"_Here comes the bride...all dressed in white..." _She sung lightly and smiled giddily. "Ah...once Sasuke-kun eats these cookies, he'll fall in love with me and we'll get married when we're older!" She assured herself blissfully. Ino looked down to the eggs skeptically.

"Hm...two eggs don't sound like enough. How about we add three more for extra love!" She cheered and took out five eggs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Ino snapped her sunshine head to the possesor of the voice. Shikamaru stood there holding a plastic bag with a milk carton bulging out.

"Why not?" She whined as Shikamaru placed the milk on the counter.

"If you want to poison your precious future husband, fine then." He told her sarcastically. Ino's cheeks reddened.

"H-How long were you there?" She asked mortified and emberassed. Shikamaru turned to her with a playful smirk.

"Long enough."

Ino's blush increased as she glared at him.

"O-Oh shush! It's true anyway, s-so don't think I'm embarassed!" She exclaimed and began to break open an egg.

Sadly, her attempt was weak and she only crushed it on the counter's side. Ino and Shikamaru looked to the result stunned.

"Oops..." The fashionable kunoichi muttered. Shikamaru hung his head low and sighed once again as he grabbed a dishtowel and began to clean the mess.

"Troublesome girl..." He muttered. Ino felt guilt wash over and bowed her head.

"I-I'm sorry..." She apoligized weakly. Shikamaru glanced to her.

"Don't worry about it." He reassurred her and walked off with the dishtowel in hand. Ino's head was still bowed when he returned. The Nara boy's eyes gleamed sympathetically. He grabbed an egg.

"Here, I'll do it." He offered. Ino lifted her head and grabbed his wrist.

"No! I told you, I have to do this on my own!" She scolded him. He looked to her annoyed.

"Oh, for Goodness sake's woman!" He cursed and tried to get out of her hold.

"Give it!"

"Let go!"

The egg dropped with a resounding crack. Yolk splattered about the floor. Ino and Shikamaru looked to it in defeat.

"Shikamaru..."

"Hrm?"

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out of the kitchen!" Ino yelled and thrust away his wrist. Shikamaru looked to her irritated then turned.

"Troublesome women..." He mumbled once again and then left the room. Ino glared from where he stood and grabbed a paper towel, whiping up the egg as she did.

"Stupid Shikamaru...He deserves a name...Shika-bastard...Yeah, that's a good one..." She muttered to herself in a morbid voice. "Shika-bastard the lazy ninja...Shika-bastard the woman-hater..."

"I don't hate women. They're just troublesome. And what's with this 'Shika-bastard'?"

Ino snapped her head to the voice's possesor. Shikamaru stood with a confused look on his face.

"What do you want, Shika-bastard!" Ino yelled angerly. Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Your change...from the milk..." He responded and heldout his hand that held some coins. Ino stomped over to him and swiped away the coins. Shikamaru flinched at her sudden agressive nature.

"Now leave." Ino commanded sternly. He only glared at her.

"Fine. Whatever." His voice was cold and irritated. Shikamaru left through the doorway as Ino continued to glare from where he was at.

_What's with that voice? He was the one who started it with him trying to help..._ Ino suddenly felt her heart pang.

_Stupid Ino...I was so worried about Sasuke-kun I yelled at Shikamaru...Oh...he's mad isn't he...?_ Ino's sapphire eyes went soft as she walked out of the kitchen.

The princess was to apoligize to the knight.

* * *

Shikamaru laid down on his house's porch, looking to the clouds lazily. A most favorable pasttime of his.

Sadly, for now though, he was just a bit angry.

"Troublesome girl...calling me a bastard when I'm trying to help...All for her precious Sasuke..." He muttered in an annoyed tone. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Now she's got me all annoyed and mad. Bothersome woman..." He continued to complain.

"I have a name you know..."

Shikamaru's eyes snapped open at the other voice. Ino stood in the open doorway.

"What do you want...Boar-chan?" He asked playfully. Ino's cheeks colored and she glared at him.

"Don't call me that! You know I don't like my name!" She yelled at him furiously. She secretly cursed her parents.

_Stupid Daddy! Why couldn't I have a prettier name like Sakura's? Her name means 'cherry blossom'. Hinata's means 'sunny place'. Heck, Tenten's name means 'Heavenly'! Why did my name have to be 'Boar'? I'm not a wild pig! _She complained inwardly.

"Why can't I call you that? I mean when we were kids..."

"Yeah, and when we were kids I always called you 'Deer-chan'. Remember when it was around Christmas, and I always asked 'Is Shika-chan's noes going to glow red this year?'" She asked him smugly. Shikamaru burst out laughing as did Ino.

"I can't believe you still remember that!" He struggled between chuckles. Ino held her stomach from laughing so much.

"I can't believe it myself!" She exclaimed. The two looked at each other amused. All the hate and anger had seemed to vanish with that one shared laugh.  
"Ah...Shikamaru..." Ino adressed him suddenly remembering why she was there.

"Hrm?"

"I-I'm sorry..." She whispered and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and avoided his gaze. He only continued to stare at her with boredom. Ino glanced to him, blushed, and turned her eyes away again.

"Y-You...can help if you want..." She muttered. Shikamaru's eyes glinted amusement.

"What was that...Boar-chan?" He asked misheviously. Ino furrowed her brow at him.

"Just get in the kitchen, Rudolph!" She yelled and stomped away. Shikamaru smiled and followed her into the kitchen after getting up.

The knight would do as the princess fancied.

* * *

"We need about one-and-half cup of sugar, Shikamaru."

"Mmhm."

"Do you guys have any salt."

"Yes."

"Good, get about a half teaspoon of that."

"Right."

"And be quick about it!"

Shikamru looked at her with irritated eyes.

"Hey...shouldn't you be helping?" He asked her. Ino looked to him with amusement.

"I _am _helping Shikamaru. I'm telling _you _what to do." She winked at him playfully. The Nara boy glared at her. He didn't want to do all the work! That was too much trouble for him!

Shikamaru thought for awhile. How would he get himself out of this?

He smirked.

"Well, since you put it that way, I guess it's alright if Sasuke falls in love with me." He spoke to her playfully. Ino froze.

"Wh-What?"

"Well...you did say that if I helped, some of _my _feelings would go in the cookies. And since it seems that _I'm _the only one making them here...I guess he's only going to fall in love with me..." He told her in a casual tone as he surpressed a laugh. Ino looked at him stunned and paralyzed with shock.

She pushed Shikamru aside and began measuring.

"Fine! Let _me _measure! _You _preheat the oven!" She ordered him. Shikamaru smiled evilly and did as she told.

After having been friends with her since childhood...he knew how gullible she could be sometimes.

"By the way, Shika." Ino addressed him as she scooped up some sugar with a measuring cup.

"Hrm?"

"I will never let you have my Sasuke-kun!" She told him in silly defialment. Shikamaru chuckled at her while Ino grinned.

"You can have him. He's _so _not my type anyway..." He sighed theatrically and gave her a Chesire cat grin. Ino burst out in laughter.

Ino smiled at him and he did the same. The atmosphere lightened.

In many ways, for some reason, the princess and her knight, were most lovely friends.

* * *

"It's too tough!" Ino exclaimed. Shikamaru looked to her. He was looking at the clouds through the kitchen's window.

Until, of course, Ino interrupted. The lazy chunnin walked over to her.

"What is it now?" He asked with a lazy tone. Ino struggled with a wooden spoon and bowl.

"The dough's too tough! I can't mix it right!" She whined. The sapphire-eyed girl attempted to mix the dough again, but failed. It _was _much too tough.

Shikamaru sighed.

"Need help?"

"What do you think?" She asked him sarcastically.

"Fine..." He mumbled angerly. Just when he thought he had a break...

Shikamaru grabbed the bowl and spoon from her and tried to stir.

It was so thick...

"Ino, what the hell did you put in this thing?" He asked between gritted teeth.

"What I was suppossed to..."

"Did you try to put more ingrediants 'for extra love' again?" He asked irritated. Ino laughed a bit nervously.

"W-Well...sugar for more sweetness..." She mumbled. Shikamaru glared at her.

"Ino!"

"What? It seemed like a good idea!" She excused. Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome, troublesome girl..." He complained. Ino glared at him in return.

"Oh be quiet! Don't you go calling me troublesome!" She whined at him.

"Then what would you like to be called? Boar-chan perhaps?"

"Then I'll just call you Shika-bastard!"

"Would you be quiet!"

"Not until you stop calling me troublesome!"

"That's what you are right now, though! Troublesome!"

The two panted heavily from their argument. They both glared at each other in immense loath. Ino snapped her head away from him with a bit of snobiness in it.

"Are you done stirring that thing yet?" She asked coldly.

"Yes."

Ino grabbed the mixture away from him.

"Thank you." She told him. She obviously didn't mean it.

The knight and the princess were in a bitter fight against each other.

* * *

She slid the cooking pan in and closed the oven door. Ino removed the mit she wore and looked to where Shikamaru sat.

He was sitting on a window sill, back to her and his head upward. He was gazing at the clouds.

Ever since the little fight they shared, neither of them spoke to each other. Ino began to feel guilty.

A thought popped in her head. She was having, what she would call it, 'A really smart Shikamaru-like moment'.

"H-Hey! Shika-kun! Why not we make some frosting, too? I mean, we could melt some chocolate and use that..." She offered. Shikamaru didn't look to her.

"I don't want to." He told her coldly. Ino flinched at his sudden behavior.

She had never seen Shikamaru like this.

It worried her.

Ino could only shrug it off, though, and make the melted chocolate herself.

The pot clanged on the oven's surface as she put some chocolates she had bought inside. The oven clicked on as she turned the dial.

She hummed lightly as she looked around for a clean wooden spoon. Shikamaru ignored her.

He wanted to hum with her though. Such a familiar song...

"Ah! Here it is!" She cheered and closed the cabinet. She walked over to the melting concotion and continued to hum her beautiful song.

She stirred as she whispered the lyrics.

_Please tell me that you love me..._

_Please tell me that you need me..._

_Please tell me that I'll never be alone..._

_Please tell me that you'll always be right here..._

_Please hold me tightly..._

_Please kiss me softly..._

_And tell me one more thing..._

_Please tell me that you love me..._

Shikamaru turned his head to her. Where had he heard that song before?

"Ino..." He called out to her.

"Hm?"

"That song..."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I've heard it before..."

"Well, duh."

Shikamaru looked at her puzzled.

"You mean you don't remember? When we were kids, I'd always sing it." She reminded him.

"But why-?"

"Cause whenever I thought of Sasuke-kun I'd sing what I wanted him to hear!" She told him energetically. The lazy chunnin sighed.

"Then why don't you just tell him?" He asked her boredly.

"I'm doing that now. Using the words 'I love you' is so cliched. _I_, however, will be _unique_." The blounde-haired girl told him confidently. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Weird girl..." He commented in a tired-tone. Ino glared at him and slammed her hand on the counter.

"It's not weird! It's called _love, _Shikamaru. Haven't you ever been in love?" She lectured sternly. Shikamaru blinked for awhile.

"No." He told her flatly. Ino looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Oh come on! Haven't you ever felt your heart skip a beat around someone? Felt like you _needed _to protect someone for no reason? Cared for a person _immensely?_" She asked him with a serious look in her sapphire eyes. He looked at her disinterested.

"No." He answered once again. Ino gritted her teeth.

"You're so-!" She began. Then she felt it.

She looked down to see the intense heat she was feeling on her wrist.

The armwarmer she wore to imitate Sasuke...was on fire.

Ino's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. Shikamaru looked at the pyro-infected clothing as well with a shocked look.

Time stopped for Ino till her mind finally clicked.

She was in danger.

A scream tore from her mouth and she thrust her hand away. Too late though. The armwarmer was still on fire.

She continued to scream and Shikamaru scrambled off the window sill, falling onto the kitchen floor, but getting up as soon as his reflexes could.

"Ino! Take it off!" He yelled. Ino looked at him panicked.

"Shika, it burns!" She screamed. She was in such a panic, her mind wasn't working properly.

"Ino, just take the damn thing off!" He ordered.

Ino nodded and undid the straps. She thrust her fingers away. It burned. She finally threw the thing off...but onto a clump of dishtowels.

Ino's mouth gaped open as the fire spread. Shikamaru's face was that of horrorfied.

"Ino!" He scolded her.

"It's not my fault! It really burned." She excused. Shikamaru didn't hear her though, as he removed his Chunnin vest and batted at the fire furiously to put it out.

It didn't help though, as the inferno grew viciously. Ino looked around panicked for something to help. She spotted a bucket near the door, grabbed it, took it to the sink, filled it with water, and ran to the fire.

She splashed it upon the fire. The water calmed the flame till it was only smoke.

The two breathed heavily and their hearts stopped beating rapidly.

Ino collapsed to the floor, sitting with her legs at her side. Shikamaru decided to take a breather as well and sat cross-legged.

Silence fell as the two thanked God for letting them survive.

Ino looked to Shikamaru to make sure he was alright. He had ash around his face and he held his Chunnin vest in his hand. It had burn marks on it.

Ino began giggling, which grew to laughing.

Shikamaru looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Wh-What's so funny?" He asked skeptically. Ino held her stomach and looked up to him with a laughing face.

"Y-Your face...you look so funny!" She exclaimed and returned to her chuckling. Shikamaru looked at her with innocent curiosity.

"I-I do?"

Ino nodded her head. She grabbed for a pan with a clear steel surface she never put up from her search in the beginning. She handed it to him and returned to her laughing.

Shikamaru looked at his reflection and began laughing as well.

"You should be talking. Look at yourself!" He grinned.

Ino took the pan from him and laughed more.

"W-We look so weird!" She exclaimed. The two laughed at themselves.

Shikamaru stopped for awhile with his face red from laughing so much and tears at his eyes for it as well. He looked over Ino.

_I want to marry a girl who's not too ugly and not too beautiful..._

He reminded himself of his future goals. He smiled with a blush flavoring his face.

_Not too ugly...not too pretty...Ino...isn't **always **pretty it seems..._ He thought to himself shyly. He soon snapped out of his train of thought.

_What the hell am I thinking! It's **Ino. **I'm not in love with Ino..._He lied to himself.

Ino stopped and smiled at him, her cheeks red. Shikamaru did the same.

Ding!

Ino snapped her head to the cooking timer.

"Cookies are done." She announced.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me."

"Well, thanks for helping me clean up the mess. It would've been too troublesome by myself."

Ino smiled at him as she held the clear plastic bag that held the frosted delectible sugar cookies.

"You know, this was kinda fun. I never get to see you that much since you became a Chunnin..." She explained sadly. Shikamaru sighed.

"I _guess _you can call being bossed around and almost burning to death _fun_." He joked. Ino giggled a little.

"Well, I've got to go give these Love cookies to Sasuke-kun. He'll totally want me after this! Wish me luck!" She announced proudly, began walking, and waved. She dashed from the Nara house. Shikamaru sighed once again.

"...Troublesome girl..." He muttered, yawned, and decided to watch the clouds.

He walked off to his favorite cloud-watching spot...with a strange pang in his heart...

* * *

He felt calmness over-take him. Cloud-watching always seemed to do that to him.

He heard footsteps, but ignored them. It was probably Chouji or Naruto...or maybe his father, which during their cookie escapade, left on a mission. His mother had said she had some shopping to do, and threatened Shikamaru to not ruin her kitchen...

...At least they cleaned up the place. Thank God.

"Shika..." A girl's voice called softly. Shikamaru shivered.

A girl? Who...and with such a familiar voice...

A warm bag fell on his stomach. He looked up with a completly puzzled look.

There stood Ino, her eyes a bit red...as if she had been crying...

She had dropped the bag of cookies on him, he noted as he looked to the container of sugar cookies.

"Wha-?"

"You can have them." She told him with a stern voice. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow to her.

"I thought these were for your precious Sasuke-kun..." He pointed out. Ino crossed her arms and looked away. She wore bandages from where her wrist had burned.

"Well, I decided I didn't want Sasuke to have them. You can have them if you want." She lied. Shikamaru just _knew _she was lying.

But, he didn't ask for the truth.

Things were always better that way.

He grinned at her.

"What if I fall in love with you, Boar-chan?" He asked her playfully. Ino tensed and sat next to him.

"How _couldn't _you fall in love with me? It just means I'll have a new fanboy is all." She told him smiling. Shikamaru chuckled a bit and shook his head. He opened the bag, picked one out, and ate it happily. He took out another one and held it up to her.

"You want one?" He asked with a full mouth. Ino sighed.

"Sure, but I swear, Shika, you aren't a gentleman." She joked lightly, took the cookie, and began eating it.

The two watched the clouds as they ate the Love cookies they had made.

Shikamaru, on an impulse, grabbed her hand. Ino only squeezed in response.

Everything was going to be alright it seemed.

* * *

That's the end of it! Hope you enjoyed it. : )

Ah...the song Ino was singing is a song I made up. So...you're not going to find it on a CD.

Why was Ino crying? What made her give up on Sasuke?

You can fill that part in yourself. Maybe she saw him with Sakura...or maybe he told her off cruelly...

You decide, huns. The possibities are endless. (But don't tell me what you chose.)

Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you have a wonderful day:3

-Apple Fairy


End file.
